Welcome to the APPAM Policy Council!

Information for those new to the Policy Council

There are many ways that members can volunteer their service to the association, but none are more important to the long-term success of APPAM and its activities than the Policy Council. This page is only accessible by new Policy Council members and will lay out everything you need to know to fulfill your role as a Policy Council member.

Below are links to some relevant information, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), committee member and chair responsiblities and tasks. committee reports and meeting minutes, and links to bylaws and the current Policy Council roster that that will help bring you up to speed on the work that APPAM's Policy Council has undertaken recently.

We will have an orientation call with all new Policy Council members, Matt Stagner, APPAM President, Maria Cancian, APPAM President Elect and Tara Sheehan, APPAM Executive Director. The purpose of this call is to discuss:

Policy Council member expectations, including attendance requirements, committee participation and participation in Board Meetings

Highlights from the 2018 committee work

Current and emerging Policy Council issues

Board Culture and What to Expect at Meetings

Feedback from new Policy Council members: What do you expect to achieve on the Board? What would you like to get out of APPAM Policy Council service?

The call will be Friday, February 15, 11:00 AM Eastern time. The call in number is 1.866.224.2499.

Important Links to Reference Materials

Below are some links to important materials that you should review prior to our orientation call.

Committee and chair assignments were sent out earlier this month. If you didn't receive an email, please let Tara know. The chair of each committee will reach out to the members of the committee to schedule a kickoff call shortly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

What exactly is the Policy Council?

APPAM is a nonprofit corporation, chartered in Washington, DC and recognized as income tax exempt under section 501 (c) (3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. APPAM also is sales tax exempt in Washington, DC. As a nonprofit corporation, APPAM must have a duly constituted board of directors who bear the ultimate, legal responsibility for its operations and success. The Policy Council is that board of directors. But APPAM also is a membership association, and, as such, its membership must have representation in its governance. Unlike the boards of directors of other types of nonprofits, the APPAM board is elected by the membership.

What is the composition of the Policy Council?

The full Policy Council has 28 total members. It is comprised of the following categories of members, elected each year:

Two members working in an academic setting elected by APPAM’s individual members. Each member serves a term of four years. Every other year, one of the these members is an early career member working in an academic setting.

One person elected by APPAM’s institutional members from within the APPAM Committee of Institutional Representatives. This member serves a four year term.

One member working in a non-academic setting elected by APPAM’s individual members. Each member serves a term of four years.

One student member selected by the current APPAM President and the Chair of the Institutional Reps. There are a total of two student member seats and one student is selected each year for a two year term. The terms are staggered for continuity.

Eight officers of the association, including the Immediate Past President, the President, the President-elect, two Vice Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer and a Chair of the Committee of Institutional Representatives. Other than the presidents, the term of service of all officers is two years.

Two ex officio non-voting members: the Executive Director and the JPAM Editor (both are compensated by APPAM for their service, and thus cannot vote to avoid conflicts of interest).

As may be evident, the APPAM Policy Council is among the larger boards of directors of professional/scientific societies. For example, the Council of the American Political Science Association has about 16 people. The Policy Council used to be 43 people; the membership approved a bylaws change in 2013 triming the size of the Board down to 28 people (16 Policy Council, 2 students, 8 officers, APPAM ED and Journal Editor).

Does APPAM carry directors/officers insurance? What is the potential legal exposure of Council members?

APPAM does have directors/officers insurance, and generally Council members would be shielded personally from any legal action taken against APPAM. This is because APPAM is incorporated and that means APPAM as an organization is legally distinct from its officers and directors. The one exception would be demonstrable, intentional malfeasance by a Council member, but that is not the scenario most often in the minds of persons worrying about legal liability. Pragmatically, APPAM faces little liability because it has employees and there could be legal issues related to human resources issues; APPAM signs contracts and there could be disputes; APPAM holds conferences and attendees could experience personal injuries while in attendance; and JPAM rejects articles for publication and authors could seek redress for damage to professional reputation. In its existence, no legal actions have ever been taken against APPAM, and our insurance underwriters have deemed all of these risks to be very small (as evidenced by low insurance premiums). Note that in the case of JPAM, the publisher Wiley includes JPAM editorial decisions under its legal liability coverage.

What does the Policy Council do in a typical year?

The Council normally meets twice a year, in the spring (usually early April) and the fall (at the start of the Fall Conference). Meetings generally last about four hours. Here are the regular items of business on the meeting agendas in each season:

Spring meeting: Review the audit results from the prior fiscal year (ending December 31) and the annual performance of the invested reserves; review the modified budget for the year, review and modify the priorities of the APPAM office for the current year, receive a report on planning for the Fall Research Conference, receive a report on JPAM editorial activity, receive a report on the activities of all the committees and hear about progress against the strategic plan.

Fall meeting: Review the projected financial report for the year and the proposed budget for the upcoming year, receive an annual report from the Executive Director on various programs and activities in the current year, receive reports from all the committees, receive reports on the Fall Conference, hear about progress against the strategic plan.

These usually straightforward reports occupy the first half of a Council meeting. The second half may be devoted to a range of special policy matters that the Council may be asked to decide.

What else do Policy Council members do?

Council members will all be appointed to serve on at least one committee, from the roster of standing and ad hoc committees. The chair of that committee (appointed by the APPAM President) will let the committee members know when committee meetings are, what the committee priorities are, etc. Information on the committees will be sent separately.

Policy Council members may be called on to act as reviewers for Program Committees or otherwise assist APPAM with its’ programmatic goals.

Are there attendance requirements of the Policy Council?

Policy Council members cannot miss more than two in person meetings in a row. Participation by telephone in a Policy Council meeting is not considered attendance for the attendance requirement.

Does APPAM pay for travel to Policy Council meetings or otherwise compensate its Council members?

APPAM offers a travel stipend for the Spring Policy Council meeting only, up to $500. APPAM does cover travel for its student members for all meetings.

What is the Executive Committee, and how does it relate to the Policy Council?

The full name of this committee is the Executive Committee of the Policy Council. It consists of the elected officers, and the Executive Director and the JPAM Editor (the two again serve ex officio, non-voting). The APPAM bylaws authorize the Executive Committee to act when circumstances require action with the authority of the Council but it would be difficult or untimely to hold a Council meeting. The Executive Committee always meets before the Policy Council meets, in the Spring and the Fall. The committee maintains much closer contact with the day-to-day operations of APPAM than does the full Council.

What is the role of the Committee of Institutional Representatives in APPAM’s governance?

This committee consists of the persons appointed to represent each institutional member of APPAM to the association’s leadership. Officially, its current membership is about 100 people. The committee is empowered under the APPAM bylaws to elect one person to the Executive Committee (the Chair of the Institutional Reps) and one person each year to the Policy Council. It is represented through these Council members in many activities related to the services APPAM offers its institutional members. The Committee has its own bylaws.